Students study the negative impacts on blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay, as part of the fourth grade Adaptations and Water Quality Unit.
Part II: Summary of Activities at Cranberry Station
Four years ago, CranberryStation Elementary School became recognized as one of Maryland's Green Schools! Since then, students, staff members, and our community have been committed to maintaining and reaching our Green School goals. With dedicated focus and committment to our planet and its environment, we have continued to nurture and build our students' awareness of environmental issues and the impact on our planet. It is our hope and promise that we can and will make a difference here in Westminster, across our beautiful state of Maryland, and the world.
Use of Environment for Learning, Professional Development, Celebrations
Throughout our elementary school, CSE has continued to develop and encourage "green" ideals and values. From the kindergarteners to the fifth graders, students continue to go beyond the curriculum to become immersed in environmental learning. Teachers in every grade work to integrate their environmental curriculum units in useable, meaningful ways so that their students can make connections with the real world. The students then can participate as active learners in school-wide programs and initiatives. They understand their role as care-takers of the school's and the Earth's environment, and they accept this role with pride and responsibility.
Students are not the only ones who are thinking about our Earth’s well-being. Teachers at Cranberry Station Elementary are also dedicated to the environment by continuing to educate themselves on relevant and current environmental issues. A variety of programs and classes have helped our teachers gain a deeper understanding for themselves, so that they can then pass their knowledge on to our students. Professional development opportunities have been offered by the National Aquarium, the Department of Education, Hashawa Environmental Center, and by Carroll County.
At Cranberry Station we continue to celebrate our Earth. Over the last four years, students, staff, and families have enjoyed many Green School celebrations. Some of these include: school-wide sidewalk decorating for Earth Day, creating a large plastic bottle cap mosaic, butterfly release program, rain garden dedication, *green school/artist in residence celebration, and many recycling and reusing activities.
Students enjoy taking care of their school enviornment.
Best Management Practices
In and around CSE we have focused on several Best Management Practices: water pollution prevention, waste reduction, habitat restoration, and structures for environmental learning. Staff and students, in conjunction with our Green Team, have worked hard to create programs and activities to support these areas. In the area of water pollution prevention, students have continued to study the importance of a rain garden and human impact on the Chesapeake Bay. They have worked to clean up parking lots and effectively maintain our rain garden and other gardens, over the past four years. We have focused on waste reduction in several areas throughout the building. Recycling bins have been placed in each classroom and every office. Our cafeteria staff has worked with the children and the Green Team to promote Waste-Free Wednesdays by teaching them how and what to recycle. For habitat restoration we have continued to plant native trees and plants, grow and release monarch butterflies, and continue to remove and discourage invasive species from our school grounds. Finally, for structures for environmental learning, our 5th graders evaluated and improved our bluebird trail. We have also built a new greenhouse for the entire school to grow more native plants to improve our school grounds even further.
Community Partnerships
Cranberry Station is so proud to have so many wonderful partnerships with our community. Working with the local YMCA, Master Gardeners, students from McDaniel College, local Boy Scout troops, an artist in residence, local businesses, families, and our devoted PTA has made our Green School initiatives and goals come to life. The YMCA has taken on an active role of tending to our gardens. The Master Gardeners are working with our Green Team to supply and support our greenhouse efforts and to further develop our habitats around our school. The PTA has continually supported and helped our GreenSchool efforts this year. They have supplied our school with our ABITI recycle bin and have funded our artist in residence program. Our local Boy Scout troops have helped by building and repairing our bluebird houses and have funded the project for our greenhouse. Our McDaniel interns have worked with our Green Team to organize and facilitate our composting and Waste-Free-Wednesday projects. Finally, our SGA families have been generous with their time, donations, and help with our green school initiatives. Without the overwhelming support from these people and organizations, our Green School goals would be impossible to reach. It is our pleasure to include their contributions to our Green School Recertification application this year!
Part II: Summary of Activities at Cranberry Station
Four years ago, CranberryStation Elementary School became recognized as one of Maryland's Green Schools! Since then, students, staff members, and our community have been committed to maintaining and reaching our Green School goals. With dedicated focus and committment to our planet and its environment, we have continued to nurture and build our students' awareness of environmental issues and the impact on our planet. It is our hope and promise that we can and will make a difference here in Westminster, across our beautiful state of Maryland, and the world.
Use of Environment for Learning, Professional Development, Celebrations
Throughout our elementary school, CSE has continued to develop and encourage "green" ideals and values. From the kindergarteners to the fifth graders, students continue to go beyond the curriculum to become immersed in environmental learning. Teachers in every grade work to integrate their environmental curriculum units in useable, meaningful ways so that their students can make connections with the real world. The students then can participate as active learners in school-wide programs and initiatives. They understand their role as care-takers of the school's and the Earth's environment, and they accept this role with pride and responsibility.
Students are not the only ones who are thinking about our Earth’s well-being. Teachers at Cranberry Station Elementary are also dedicated to the environment by continuing to educate themselves on relevant and current environmental issues. A variety of programs and classes have helped our teachers gain a deeper understanding for themselves, so that they can then pass their knowledge on to our students. Professional development opportunities have been offered by the National Aquarium, the Department of Education, Hashawa Environmental Center, and by Carroll County.
At Cranberry Station we continue to celebrate our Earth. Over the last four years, students, staff, and families have enjoyed many Green School celebrations. Some of these include: school-wide sidewalk decorating for Earth Day, creating a large plastic bottle cap mosaic, butterfly release program, rain garden dedication, *green school/artist in residence celebration, and many recycling and reusing activities.
Best Management Practices
In and around CSE we have focused on several Best Management Practices: water pollution prevention, waste reduction, habitat restoration, and structures for environmental learning. Staff and students, in conjunction with our Green Team, have worked hard to create programs and activities to support these areas. In the area of water pollution prevention, students have continued to study the importance of a rain garden and human impact on the Chesapeake Bay. They have worked to clean up parking lots and effectively maintain our rain garden and other gardens, over the past four years. We have focused on waste reduction in several areas throughout the building. Recycling bins have been placed in each classroom and every office. Our cafeteria staff has worked with the children and the Green Team to promote Waste-Free Wednesdays by teaching them how and what to recycle. For habitat restoration we have continued to plant native trees and plants, grow and release monarch butterflies, and continue to remove and discourage invasive species from our school grounds. Finally, for structures for environmental learning, our 5th graders evaluated and improved our bluebird trail. We have also built a new greenhouse for the entire school to grow more native plants to improve our school grounds even further.
Community Partnerships
Cranberry Station is so proud to have so many wonderful partnerships with our community. Working with the local YMCA, Master Gardeners, students from McDaniel College, local Boy Scout troops, an artist in residence, local businesses, families, and our devoted PTA has made our Green School initiatives and goals come to life. The YMCA has taken on an active role of tending to our gardens. The Master Gardeners are working with our Green Team to supply and support our greenhouse efforts and to further develop our habitats around our school. The PTA has continually supported and helped our GreenSchool efforts this year. They have supplied our school with our ABITI recycle bin and have funded our artist in residence program. Our local Boy Scout troops have helped by building and repairing our bluebird houses and have funded the project for our greenhouse. Our McDaniel interns have worked with our Green Team to organize and facilitate our composting and Waste-Free-Wednesday projects. Finally, our SGA families have been generous with their time, donations, and help with our green school initiatives. Without the overwhelming support from these people and organizations, our Green School goals would be impossible to reach. It is our pleasure to include their contributions to our Green School Recertification application this year!